Character education sounds great. Who would not want to have educators in schools teach character to children and young people? It seems like a wonderful thing. However, there is one important question. Does it work?
One of the first steps in implementing a character education program is to have the conviction that character education is worth doing. Fortunately, there is research to support the idea that character education is indeed effective. However, some character education programs have proven to be more effective than others.
Successful Character Education Programs A. Incorporate social and emotional learning B. Identify themselves as character education programs C. Integrate into the school’s curriculum D. Stress professional development E. Employ interactive teaching/learning strategies
Character education programs with certain characteristics have been found to affect student attitudes and behavior in substantial ways. What are the characteristics of successful and effective character education programs? According to a study by Dr. Marvin Berkowitz and research done by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), successful and effective character education and/or social and emotional learning programs tend to have the following qualities:
Students are taught things like self-awareness, awareness of others, and social skills. They are taught communication skills, conflict resolution skills, relationship skills, how to assert themselves, and awareness of and empathy for others’ feelings. They are also taught to improve themselves. They may learn self-control, goal-setting, stress-reducing strategies, self-reflection and self-awareness, and how to cope with emotions. They may learn how to make good decisions or how to approach solving problems.
Successful programs also identify themselves as character education programs. They identify themselves as deliberately aiming to promote the moral development of students, and they emphasize core or universal values or virtues.
Successful programs are integrated into the curriculum at least somewhat, although this may only be to the extent that character education is taught during the school day. Sometimes character education programs are integrated into the curriculum, with language arts or social studies being the most common entry points. CASEL finds that programs with more than seven or eight explicit lesson plans over the course of a year’s time are most effective. A certain volume of character education lessons may be considered to incorporate them effectively into the curriculum.
Successful programs stress professional development. It is best to have teacher trainings before the program is implemented and follow-up or booster trainings further down the road.
Successful programs stress interactive teaching/learning strategies such as forming discussion circles, class meetings, debates, votes, role-playing, cooperative learning, conflict resolution through mediation and communication techniques, direct teaching, and family and community participation.
When done properly, character education has been found to have a positive impact on reducing risky behavior, improving social competencies and school-based outcomes, and smoothing and refining social-emotional interaction. Berkowitz found that such character education programs are effective in promoting character development about fifty percent of the time. [[#_ftn1|[1]]]
CASEL has found that effective social and emotional learning (SEL) programs begin at an early age and continue throughout high school. Such programs work to develop five core social and emotional competencies in students: 1) Self-awareness 2) social awareness 3) self-improvement 4) relationships skills and 5) Responsible decision-making.[[#_ftn2|[2]]]
Discovering the Real Me Has the Hallmarks of a Successful Program
CASEL also states that successful outcomes for students include being able to deal with themselves well (acquire self-understanding and self-discipline), being able to deal with others well, both in their social and family lives, and being able to make a positive contribution to society—to be creative and productive citizens. Discovering the Real Me, although still in the pilot stages, shares many characteristics with successful character education and social and emotional learning programs. Although still being field-tested, it has the earmarks of a successful intervention.
Much of Discovering the Real Me (DTRM) has social and emotional learning content. Through reflection exercises, students’ self-awareness is enhanced. Social skills, communication skills, relationship skills, and conflict resolution skills are all covered. Explicit lessons on assertive behavior as opposed to passive or aggressive behavior are taught, as well as the building of empathy and perspective-taking. Specific chapters and exercises deal with self-control, goal-setting, stress-reducing strategies, and how to cope with emotions. Decision-making and problem-solving are also covered.
DTRM identifies itself as a character education program. It is clear as to its goals of promoting moral development in students based upon the formation of virtues, universal values, and within a positive life goals framework.
Because DTRM is literature-based, utilizing the power of story, and because it is accompanied by teacher’s manuals giving specific lesson plans, activities, and instructions, DTRM fits easily into the academic day. The stories may be applied in language arts; biographical examples may fit into social studies; and the chapters on substance abuse awareness and sexuality education may fit into health programs.
DTRM is always implemented after a teacher and administrator training. Follow-up programs are also available. Each grade level comes with a teacher’s manual which walks the teacher through teaching the story or chapter in the student book and helps to bring out the themes. The teacher’s manual provides professional support in addition to teacher trainings.
DTRM relies strongly upon a mixture of instruction methods. Discussion groups, class meetings, debates, votes, role-playing sessions, drawing, writing reflections, interactive exercises, cooperative learning, conflict resolution and communication techniques practice as well as direct teaching are all recommended throughout the books to reinforce the character education lessons featured. Family and community ties are strengthened through some of the contents of the stories as well as exercises and interviews that involve family members and mentors.
According to CASEL criteria, DTRM has the hallmarks of a successful program in that it begins at an early age (ages 5-6) and continues throughout the high school years. DTRM promotes through its lessons the five areas of social and emotional competencies CASEL recommends: 1) Self-awareness 2) social awareness 3) self-improvement 4) relationships skills and 5) Responsible decision-making.[[#_ftn3|[3]]] Several lessons in the Discovering the Real Me curriculum relate to each these goals:
CASEL also states that successful outcomes for students include being able to deal with themselves well (acquire self-understanding and self-discipline), be able to deal with others well, both in their social and family lives, and to be able to make a positive contribution to society—to be creative and productive citizens. These successful outcomes resemble the Three Life Goals that UPF advocates: to become a mature person 2) to establish loving relationships and family, and 3) to make a positive contribution to society.
However, teacher and administrators are not only interested in good character outcomes for students. After all, they also have to be accountable for standardized test scores, graduation rates, and overall achievement. The good news is that character education and social and emotional learning programs have been found to improve academic performance as well.
Perhaps research on social and emotional learning would help to answer some teacher's concerns that they are in the classroom to teach only math or biology. Research shows that when children are trained in social and emotional learning, they do better in school. The report from CASEL states, “Learning is possible only after students’ social, emotional, and physical needs have been met. When those needs are met, students are more likely to succeed in school.”[[#_ftn4|[4]]] In other words, one of the most effective ways to make sure students master math is to make sure they are being taken care of and feel safe and comfortable in the social and emotional milieu of their school.
Research shows: “Social and emotional learning has been shown to increase mastery of subject material, motivation to learn, commitment to school, and time devoted to schoolwork. It also improves attendance, graduation rates, and prospects for constructive employment while at the same time reducing suspensions, expulsions, and grade retention.” [[#_ftn5|[5]]]
Children do better in school academically when they are sound in character and flourishing with “emotional intelligence” that allows them to navigate well socially and emotionally. As they learn how to relate well to others, to resolve conflict constructively, to empathize and to understand and to discipline themselves, they thrive in their academic studies as well as in their lives.
Researchers found that adolescents value character education programs to the extent that those programs address issues of searching for a personal identity, which is one of the main developmental tasks of adolescence.[[#_ftn9|[9]]] DTRM’s very title suggests that it is an aid in identity formation and discovery. What is more, its contents, particularly in the upper grades, involve a great deal of information, exercises, tips, and constructive help having to do with what kind of a person one wants to be.
Impact on Teachers
Students are not the only beneficiaries of character education. Teachers become more effective and involved in their educational missions when they educate for character.
An instrument of measure, the Moral Vitality of Character Educators (MVCE) Survey, developed by Dr. Josephine Hauer, showed that a teacher’s own moral vitality is energized by teaching for character. In Dr. Hauer’s study, nearly all character education practices showed strong correlations with moral vitality in teachers. It was also found that teachers who addressed character education issues but once a month showed less moral vitality than teachers who introduced character education between two and four times a week.[[#_ftn6|[6]]]
Anecdotal evidence shows that teachers are affected in their characters by educating for character. One teacher spoke of how, during a class meeting on the hurtfulness of teasing, the students pointed out to her that her cynical remarks about their reasons for not having their homework done felt like teasing to them. The teacher decided to change her approach to a more positive one.[[#_ftn7|[7]]]
Evaluative studies of the Heartwood curriculum, a character education program, showed that teachers found their empathy and communication patterns, along with other teaching practices, attitudes, and approaches, improving as a result of implementing the literature-based character education curriculum.[[#_ftn8|[8]]]
Stories as Effective Teaching Tools
Since Discovering the Real Me is a story- and reading-based curriculum, it may share some of the strengths of other literature-based character education programs which have been proven to be effective, such as the Heartwood curriculum. DTRM is still in the early phases of being evaluated, yet it does feature many of the characteristics of already successful programs according to the criteria discussed above.
The role of story-telling is emphasized by researchers and by ethicists who believe that story-telling is one of humankind’s most powerful transmitters of values and culture. James S. Leming, the main researcher for the Heartwood studies, has said, “Virtually all of the current efforts to educate for character accord a special role for narrative. Narrative plays an important role in this process for it is through the use of stories that cultural values are most often given shape and made meaningful in the lives of children.”[[#_ftn10|[10]]] He quotes A. MacIntyre, author of After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, as saying “man…essentially is a story-telling animal”[[#_ftn11|[11]]] and mentions that ethicist James Q. Wilson believes that moral tales teach consequences to children—good things happen to people who do good; bad things happen to people who do bad, which is the theme of Book 3 in the DTRM series, Living Happily Ever After:
Effective character education positively affects both students and teachers. It affects academic performance as well as behavior and discipline. It is an important element in every classroom, and it adds vitality and meaning to the educational task.
Key Points
Character education is effective when character education programs have certain characteristics that have proven to be successful.
The Discovering the Real Me character education curriculum has these successful characteristics.
Character education affects not only students’ characters; it positively impacts academic achievement as well
Teachers are revitalized in their own personal morality and in the teaching task the more they teach character education.
Quiz on Effective Character Education Programs
1. Effective character education programs identify themselves as: a. “Fun” non-study times for the children b. Character education programs c. Alternative educational programs d. Literature class
2. Effective character education programs use the following methods: a. Role-play b. Direct teaching c. Discussion circles d. All of the above
3. Integrating character education into the curriculum means: a. Character education may be taught as a specific, stand-alone course. b. Character education is addressed consistently within the school day. c. All teachers know the definition of character education. d. a. and b.
4. Teacher training and supportive follow-up are: a. Unimportant to an effective character education program b. Important to an effective character education program c. a hindrance to the implementation of an effective character education program
d. wasteful of time needed for the implementation of an effective character education program
5. Social and emotional skills like empathy, conflict resolution, and communication skills: a. characterize effective character education programs b. are optional in an effective character education program c. don’t belong in the schools but in the homes d. have no impact on students’ behavior
6. When it comes to academics, effective character education programs: a. enhance academic performance b. take away from academic performance c. have no effect on academic performance d. surpass academic performance
7. Teachers doing character education report: a. little effect on their approach to teaching or their own moral lives
b. lowered morality in their own lives due to a sense of guilt that they can’t live up to their own teachings c. enhanced moral vitality in their own lives d. increased accusations of hypocrisy from their students
8. The Discovering the Real Me character education series: a. is story-based b. provides teachers’ manuals with various teaching methods c. shares the characteristics of effective character education programs d. all of the above
Answer key: 1. b., 2. d., 3. d., 4. b., 5. a., 6. a., 7. c., 8. d.
[[#_ftnref|[1]]] Marvin W. Berkowtiz, Ph.D., Melinda C. Bier, Ph.D., “What Works in Character Education: A research-driven guide for educators,” Character Education Partnership, February 2005. http://www.character.org, under “Featured Reports”.
[[#_ftnref|[2]]] “Safe and Sound: An Educational Leader’s Guide to Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs, published by The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory, the Laboratory for Student Success (LSS), March 2003, http://www.casel.org.
[[#_ftnref|[3]]] “Safe and Sound: An Educational Leader’s Guide to Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs, published by The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory, the Laboratory for Student Success (LSS), March 2003, http://www.casel.org.
[[#_ftnref|[4]]] Ibid., p. 7.
[[#_ftnref|[5]]] Ibid.
[[#_ftnref|[6]]] Josephine Hauer, “Educating for Character and Teachers’ Moral Vitality,” Journal of Research in Character Education, Vol. 1, No. 1, Center for Character and Citizenship, University of Missouri, St. Louis.
[[#_ftnref|[7]]] Ibid.
[[#_ftnref|[8]]] “A Five-Year Follow-Up Evaluation of the Effects of the Heartwood Ethics Curriculum on the Development of Children’s Character” by James S. Leming, Saginaw Valley State University and Diane Yendol Silva, University of Florida, July 20, 2001.
[[#_ftnref|[9]]]James Leming and Diane Yendol-Hoppey “Experiencing Character Education: Student and Teacher Voices,” Journal of Research in Character Education, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2004, pp. 1-17.
[[#_ftnref|[10]]] James S. Leming, Southern Illinois University, Astrid Henricks Smith, University of Pittsburgh, James Antis, Duqesne University, “An Evaluation of the Heartwood Institute’s ‘An Ethics Curriculum for Children,’” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, March 28, 1997, Chicago, Illinois (revised 4.1.2000).
[[#_ftnref|[11]]] A MacIntyre, After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory (IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1981).
Table of Contents
One of the first steps in implementing a character education program is to have the conviction that character education is worth doing. Fortunately, there is research to support the idea that character education is indeed effective. However, some character education programs have proven to be more effective than others.
Successful Character Education Programs
A. Incorporate social and emotional
learning
B. Identify themselves as character
education programs
C. Integrate into the school’s curriculum
D. Stress professional development
E. Employ interactive teaching/learning strategies
Character education programs with certain characteristics have been found to affect student attitudes and behavior in substantial ways. What are the characteristics of successful and effective character education programs? According to a study by Dr. Marvin Berkowitz and research done by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), successful and effective character education and/or social and emotional learning programs tend to have the following qualities:
When done properly, character education has been found to have a positive impact on reducing risky behavior, improving social competencies and school-based outcomes, and smoothing and refining social-emotional interaction. Berkowitz found that such character education programs are effective in promoting character development about fifty percent of the time. [[#_ftn1|[1]]]
CASEL has found that effective social and emotional learning (SEL) programs begin at an early age and continue throughout high school. Such programs work to develop five core social and emotional competencies in students: 1) Self-awareness 2) social awareness 3) self-improvement 4) relationships skills and 5) Responsible decision-making.[[#_ftn2|[2]]]
Discovering the Real Me Has the Hallmarks of a Successful Program
CASEL also states that successful outcomes for students include being able to deal with themselves well (acquire self-understanding and self-discipline), being able to deal with others well, both in their social and family lives, and being able to make a positive contribution to society—to be creative and productive citizens.Discovering the Real Me, although still in the pilot stages, shares many characteristics with successful character education and social and emotional learning programs. Although still being field-tested, it has the earmarks of a successful intervention.
According to CASEL criteria, DTRM has the hallmarks of a successful program in that it begins at an early age (ages 5-6) and continues throughout the high school years. DTRM promotes through its lessons the five areas of social and emotional competencies CASEL recommends: 1) Self-awareness 2) social awareness 3) self-improvement 4) relationships skills and 5) Responsible decision-making.[[#_ftn3|[3]]] Several lessons in the Discovering the Real Me curriculum relate to each these goals:
Lessons on Self-Awareness
Lessons on Social Awareness
Lessons on Self-Improvement
Lessons on Relationship Skills
Lessons on Decision-Making
Impact on Students
CASEL also states that successful outcomes for students include being able to deal with themselves well (acquire self-understanding and self-discipline), be able to deal with others well, both in their social and family lives, and to be able to make a positive contribution to society—to be creative and productive citizens. These successful outcomes resemble the Three Life Goals that UPF advocates: to become a mature person 2) to establish loving relationships and family, and 3) to make a positive contribution to society.However, teacher and administrators are not only interested in good character outcomes for students. After all, they also have to be accountable for standardized test scores, graduation rates, and overall achievement. The good news is that character education and social and emotional learning programs have been found to improve academic performance as well.
Perhaps research on social and emotional learning would help to answer some teacher's concerns that they are in the classroom to teach only math or biology. Research shows that when children are trained in social and emotional learning, they do better in school. The report from CASEL states, “Learning is possible only after students’ social, emotional, and physical needs have been met. When those needs are met, students are more likely to succeed in school.”[[#_ftn4|[4]]] In other words, one of the most effective ways to make sure students master math is to make sure they are being taken care of and feel safe and comfortable in the social and emotional milieu of their school.
Research shows: “Social and emotional learning has been shown to increase mastery of subject material, motivation to learn, commitment to school, and time devoted to schoolwork. It also improves attendance, graduation rates, and prospects for constructive employment while at the same time reducing suspensions, expulsions, and grade retention.” [[#_ftn5|[5]]]
Children do better in school academically when they are sound in character and flourishing with “emotional intelligence” that allows them to navigate well socially and emotionally. As they learn how to relate well to others, to resolve conflict constructively, to empathize and to understand and to discipline themselves, they thrive in their academic studies as well as in their lives.
Researchers found that adolescents value character education programs to the extent that those programs address issues of searching for a personal identity, which is one of the main developmental tasks of adolescence.[[#_ftn9|[9]]] DTRM’s very title suggests that it is an aid in identity formation and discovery. What is more, its contents, particularly in the upper grades, involve a great deal of information, exercises, tips, and constructive help having to do with what kind of a person one wants to be.
Impact on Teachers
Students are not the only beneficiaries of character education. Teachers become more effective and involved in their educational missions when they educate for character.An instrument of measure, the Moral Vitality of Character Educators (MVCE) Survey, developed by Dr. Josephine Hauer, showed that a teacher’s own moral vitality is energized by teaching for character. In Dr. Hauer’s study, nearly all character education practices showed strong correlations with moral vitality in teachers. It was also found that teachers who addressed character education issues but once a month showed less moral vitality than teachers who introduced character education between two and four times a week.[[#_ftn6|[6]]]
Anecdotal evidence shows that teachers are affected in their characters by educating for character. One teacher spoke of how, during a class meeting on the hurtfulness of teasing, the students pointed out to her that her cynical remarks about their reasons for not having their homework done felt like teasing to them. The teacher decided to change her approach to a more positive one.[[#_ftn7|[7]]]
Evaluative studies of the Heartwood curriculum, a character education program, showed that teachers found their empathy and communication patterns, along with other teaching practices, attitudes, and approaches, improving as a result of implementing the literature-based character education curriculum.[[#_ftn8|[8]]]
Stories as Effective Teaching Tools
Since Discovering the Real Me is a story- and reading-based curriculum, it may share some of the strengths of other literature-based character education programs which have been proven to be effective, such as the Heartwood curriculum. DTRM is still in the early phases of being evaluated, yet it does feature many of the characteristics of already successful programs according to the criteria discussed above.The role of story-telling is emphasized by researchers and by ethicists who believe that story-telling is one of humankind’s most powerful transmitters of values and culture. James S. Leming, the main researcher for the Heartwood studies, has said, “Virtually all of the current efforts to educate for character accord a special role for narrative. Narrative plays an important role in this process for it is through the use of stories that cultural values are most often given shape and made meaningful in the lives of children.”[[#_ftn10|[10]]] He quotes A. MacIntyre, author of After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, as saying “man…essentially is a story-telling animal”[[#_ftn11|[11]]] and mentions that ethicist James Q. Wilson believes that moral tales teach consequences to children—good things happen to people who do good; bad things happen to people who do bad, which is the theme of Book 3 in the DTRM series, Living Happily Ever After:
Effective character education positively affects both students and teachers. It affects academic performance as well as behavior and discipline. It is an important element in every classroom, and it adds vitality and meaning to the educational task.
Key Points
Quiz on Effective Character Education Programs
1. Effective character education programs identify themselves as:a. “Fun” non-study times for the children
b. Character education programs
c. Alternative educational programs
d. Literature class
2. Effective character education programs use the following methods:
a. Role-play
b. Direct teaching
c. Discussion circles
d. All of the above
3. Integrating character education into the curriculum means:
a. Character education may be taught as a specific, stand-alone course.
b. Character education is addressed consistently within the school day.
c. All teachers know the definition of character education.
d. a. and b.
4. Teacher training and supportive follow-up are:
a. Unimportant to an effective character education program
b. Important to an effective character education program
c. a hindrance to the implementation of an effective character education program
d. wasteful of time needed for the implementation of an effective character education program
5. Social and emotional skills like empathy, conflict resolution, and communication skills:
a. characterize effective character education programs
b. are optional in an effective character education program
c. don’t belong in the schools but in the homes
d. have no impact on students’ behavior
6. When it comes to academics, effective character education programs:
a. enhance academic performance
b. take away from academic performance
c. have no effect on academic performance
d. surpass academic performance
7. Teachers doing character education report:
a. little effect on their approach to teaching or their own moral lives
b. lowered morality in their own lives due to a sense of guilt that they can’t live up to their own teachings
c. enhanced moral vitality in their own lives
d. increased accusations of hypocrisy from their students
8. The Discovering the Real Me character education series:
a. is story-based
b. provides teachers’ manuals with various teaching methods
c. shares the characteristics of effective character education programs
d. all of the above
Answer key: 1. b., 2. d., 3. d., 4. b., 5. a., 6. a., 7. c., 8. d.
[[#_ftnref|[1]]] Marvin W. Berkowtiz, Ph.D., Melinda C. Bier, Ph.D., “What Works in Character Education: A research-driven guide for educators,” Character Education Partnership, February 2005. http://www.character.org, under “Featured Reports”.
[[#_ftnref|[2]]] “Safe and Sound: An Educational Leader’s Guide to Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs, published by The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory, the Laboratory for Student Success (LSS), March 2003, http://www.casel.org.
[[#_ftnref|[3]]] “Safe and Sound: An Educational Leader’s Guide to Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs, published by The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory, the Laboratory for Student Success (LSS), March 2003, http://www.casel.org.
[[#_ftnref|[4]]] Ibid., p. 7.
[[#_ftnref|[5]]] Ibid.
[[#_ftnref|[6]]] Josephine Hauer, “Educating for Character and Teachers’ Moral Vitality,” Journal of Research in Character Education, Vol. 1, No. 1, Center for Character and Citizenship, University of Missouri, St. Louis.
[[#_ftnref|[7]]] Ibid.
[[#_ftnref|[8]]] “A Five-Year Follow-Up Evaluation of the Effects of the Heartwood Ethics Curriculum on the Development of Children’s Character” by James S. Leming, Saginaw Valley State University and Diane Yendol Silva, University of Florida, July 20, 2001.
[[#_ftnref|[9]]]James Leming and Diane Yendol-Hoppey “Experiencing Character Education: Student and Teacher Voices,” Journal of Research in Character Education, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2004, pp. 1-17.
[[#_ftnref|[10]]] James S. Leming, Southern Illinois University, Astrid Henricks Smith, University of Pittsburgh, James Antis, Duqesne University, “An Evaluation of the Heartwood Institute’s ‘An Ethics Curriculum for Children,’” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, March 28, 1997, Chicago, Illinois (revised 4.1.2000).
[[#_ftnref|[11]]] A MacIntyre, After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory (IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1981).